Newfoundland and Labrador Regional
Economic Development Association
The NLREDA mandate is to represent the 20 Regional Economic Development Boards of the province on issues of common concern. As well, the association was formed to promote and strengthen relationships, communications, human resources and organizational developm ¬ READ MORE
Building Partnerships. Strengthening Regions.
Aquaculture Mission Assists Coast of Bays Region
Aquaculture in the Coast of Bays region is a multi-million dollar industry with established markets and exciting investment potential. The region boasts a marine environment that is perfect for farming several species of shellfish and finfish, a strategic geographic location for trade with Iceland, the European Union and the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, and a fast and efficient channel to international markets via Gander International Airport.
To better understand the requirements of a 50,000 MT aquaculture sector, the Coast of Bays Corporation Regional Economic Development Board facilitated a ‘Best Practices’ Mission to New Brunswick for municipal leaders and economic developers in the region. This mission was undertaken to learn from the experiences of another region to ensure that the Coast of Bays is prepared to meet the demands of a growing sector which has not yet reached its full potential. The Mission took place from October 20– 24, 2008 and included various towns in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, including St. Andrews, St. George, St. Stephen, Black’s Harbour and Pennfield.
Funding for the mission was provided by a partnership of the Coast of Bays Corporation, ACOA, INTRD, and the provincial Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFA), Newfoundland Aqua Service Limited and the Towns of Rencontre East, Pool’s Cove, Belleoram, Harbour Breton, Hermitage-Sandyville, Conne River and St. Alban’s. The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) also participated in this mission.
On completion, a report entitled, Aquaculture Best Practices Mission to Southwest New Brunswick, was prepared by Sweeney International Management Corporation, a company which was contracted to arrange meetings and to guide the delegation during the mission. Following the mission, the consultant held sessions with the councils of the participating towns to discuss items of interest deriving from the mission and to provide follow-up information to the towns.
Developing the Aquaculture Industry
The Coast of Bays region has been the pioneering region of the province in finfish aquaculture since the mid-80s. The industry has been growing since then and companies have been learning the advantages and disadvantages of various farm locations, broodstock selection and farm site equipment. Entrepreneurs have been learning which support services are required by the sector and municipalities are faced with challenges brought on by increased traffic through town, congestion at wharves, demands on water systems and landfill sites and working with companies wishing to set up in their respective towns. Development officers with ACOA, INTRD, DFA, NAIA and the Coast of Bays Corporation are often called upon to assist these companies and municipalities.In 2007, the finfish aquaculture production in the region was estimated to be 7,500 metric tonnes with the potential to expand to 50,000 metric tonnes annually providing the marine infrastructure, support services and labour are available. Currently, the sector provides employment to 600 people directly and another 120 people indirectly – 16% of the total workforce of the region.
Since the inception of the Coast of Bays Corporation in 1996, aquaculture has been one of the top two priorities for development in the region. The aquaculture section of the Corporation’s Strategic Plan 2008-2011, Building Business – Strengthening Communities, demonstrates how the Corporation will work with the industry to grow it to its full potential in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner while obtaining the maximum benefit for the communities of the Coast of Bays.
Successful Mission
The Coast of Bays Corporation utilized all five of its core functions in this initiative, beginning with the coordination and implementation of the Strategic Economic Plan which identified this mission as an important step. Throughout the process, strong partnerships were developed with seven municipalities, which included financial contributions from each. Partnerships were also developed with industry associations to advance and support the economic and entrepreneurial environment of the zone. NAIA and its membership were very supportive of the objectives of this mission, including participation from two association representatives.
This mission also created awareness for municipalities and economic development practitioners of the business development opportunities that this sector could provide to the region and how to address municipal challenges that could result from an expanding aquaculture sector. Finally, the mission demonstrated an effective partnership between municipal, provincial and federal government departments and agencies, with involvement from the REDB, ACOA, INTRD, DFA, NAIA, municipalities and a local entrepreneur.
The REDB was chosen as the lead for this initiative, which required extensive coordination in planning and partnership building, seeking advice from others with experience in running a delegation, identifying the funding sources and submitting proposals, obtaining a reputable consultant and working with that consultant to ensure that the aims and objectives were achieved.
Without the REDB’s leadership, this mission would probably not have happened. The absence of a steering committee facilitated timely decisions, and the staff of the REDB had the confidence of the Board of Directors and the stakeholders to successfully execute the mission.
As a result of this mission, municipalities and economic practitioners now know the extent of business support services and marine infrastructure required to support a 50,000 MT aquaculture sector in a bio-secure and environmentally responsible manner. The REDB and various government departments and agencies – ACOA, INTRD, DFA and NAIA – are working with entrepreneurs toward this goal. The board is also in communication with others who are looking to expand to the Coast of Bays region. These initiatives will secure existing jobs and create new ones in the region. The REDB and its partners are working with various municipalities to address challenges faced by communities at the forefront of a fast-paced industry.
Continued Growth
The Coast of Bays Corporation is continuing to work with the municipalities, government departments and agencies and the business community to address the challenges of growing an industry in rural Newfoundland, particularly the Coast of Bays region.
Since this mission, the provincial government has committed to investing millions of dollars in the region to develop inflow marine facilities, install bloodwater treatment systems at processing plants and plan a model of Bay Management to increase the region’s bio-security in the industry. The federal government, through the Small Craft Harbour program, has increased berthing facilities in many of the region’s harbours to alleviate the wharfage congestion problems previously experienced by traditional fishers.
DFA will be constructing an Aquatic Health Centre in the region to provide early diagnostics and monitoring services to the industry. This Centre is expected to be constructed in 2010. Cooke Aquaculture, in addition to its growout operations, has taken ownership of the Bay D’Espoir Salmon Hatchery at St. Veronica’s and is currently constructing a new salmon hatchery in St. Alban’s to support their operations in the Coast of Bays. Northern Harvest Sea Farms continues to grow in the region and Nordic Salmon Inc. is performing pre-commercial work on farming Arctic Charr. Gray Aqua Group, Nova Fish Farms and Long Island Resources are also expanding in the region. Production in 2009 was in excess of 10,000 metric tonnes and this expansion trend is expected to continue well into the future.
Entrepreneurs in the region are exploring new or expanding existing business opportunities to provide services to the sector. The Town of Grand Falls-Windsor, in partnership with the Coast of Bays Corporation, is planning to host a partnership exploration session on May 5. Industry players in the Coast of Bays will be invited to attend the session in Grand Falls-Windsor to explore possible partnerships with interested businesses in the Exploits Valley region.
Clearly, the information gathered on this mission is already yielding positive developments for the Coast of Bays aquaculture industry.